BJP wants White Paper on SEZ

Tiruchirapalli, Jan 7: The BJP today demanded a White Paper on Special Economic Zones (SEZ) from the Union Government.

Addressing a press conference here this evening, senior party leader M Venkaiah Naidu claimed the BJP was not allowed to discuss about SEZs in Parliament and it suspected irregularities in according approvals to them.

The government should present a White Paper on SEZ policy. While there were only 367 SEZs across the world, the Indian Government was rather liberal in creating more than 470 SEZs, Mr Naidu said.

As per the party's directions, a committee headed by him had come out with certain conditons for SEZs in consulation with industrial bodies and farmer's representatives.

He said SEZs should be meant only for export activities and no fertile or irrigated or farm lands should be allocated to them.

Nor should it be at the cost of food security.

The minimum price for land acquisition should be fixed at three times the market price. At the time of development, the affected farmers should have a stake of 15 per cent and every developer should submit a total rehabilitation plan ensuring stable livelihood for the affected locals.

SEZs should not revolve around metro cities or major cities but concentrate on two-tier towns. The IT sector should be excluded from the SEZ activity though the party was not against the sector as such.

In fact, the concept of SEZ and IT sector development were the brainchild of the erstwhile Vajpayee government and the BJP was very particular that sops and concessions meant for the IT sector should be continued for another ten years after the present time-frame of 2009 ended.

Mr Naidu said the BJP had also circulated the recommendations to all chief ministers of BJP-ruled states across the country and would fight tooth and nail to straighten up the policies on SEZ. He expected the Union Government to be more transparent and pro-active on the issue. Answering a query on the attempt to dislodge Mulayam Singh Government in Uttar Pradesh, he claimed it was already an unpopular dispensation and a change of guard was in the offing in the state.

The BJP will support President A P J Abdul Kalam to run for the second term for his excellent services in the current term.

However, there should be a consensus and no political controversy should come out of it, he said.

Asked for his comments on the performance of DMK Government in Tamil Nadu, he said, ''It is still young. Let us wait and see.'' On the charges that DMK Supremo M Karunanidhi had split the MDMK, he avoided comments but added the BJP did not indulge in dividing or splitting any party.

He came down heavily on the Communists ''who were playing the game of talking about poor but working for the rich''.

Commenting on the Singur issue, he reiterated the BJP was not against the Tata's Car Project. But at the same time, he warned the West Bengal Government against betraying the farmers' interests.

He made strong condemnation of the communal riots and suicide in Nandigram Village where police shooting and harassment had taken place over the land issue.

UNI